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St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Vienna to dedicate new church at 2 p.m. Sunday
New St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Vienna to be dedicated at 2 p.m. Sunday
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VIENNA
The Rev. Frank Zanni characterizes the upcoming dedication of the new church of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish as a resurrection symbolizing new life.
The dedication will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, culminating the merger of St. Bernadette Church in Masury and St. Vincent de Paul in Vienna, which officially took place Oct. 7, 2010. Closing Masses were June 17 at St. Vincent de Paul and June 25 at St. Bernadette.
The new church building deftly combines stained glass windows and statues from both sites into a contemporary setting with a tribute to the heritage.
The Diocese of Youngstown announced its Parish Implementation Plan to downsize and reconfigure in May of 2010. The diocese went from 113 parishes to 87.
“We were one of the first churches to begin a merger process,” Father Zanni recalled. “We really had no guidelines and knew it would be a long process.” That included making the liturgies at both sites the same so that members would be comfortable at either church.
“It was a delicate sense of balance,” the priest said. He described the St. Bernadette congregation was older and more conservative while St. Vincent’s was younger and more progressive. About 500 families belong to the parish.
“We officially disbanded all the organizations at the churches,” Father Zanni said. “Then we opened them back up to get equal representation from both churches.” He continued that this restructuring involved major organizations including church council, finance and worship committees along with Knights of Columbus, Women’s Guild, the religious education program of Together Growing in Faith and committees for Relay for Life, fish dinner, bereavement, church growth and Vienna Food Pantry.
Careful planning and attention to detail bring together elements from both sites. The new construction gives members a fresh start and a place to make new memories of religious celebrations such as baptisms and weddings and Christmas and Easter liturgies.
Vendrick Construction Inc. in Brookfield built the new church. The exterior combines a yellow brick color recalling St. Vincent, built in 1950, and red brick of St. Bernadette, built in 1940. The bell tower from St. Vincent was relocated to the front entry area of St. Thomas.
The Warren-based architecture firm of Baker Bednar Snyder & Associates Inc. designed the building.
Inside, parishioners enter a large vestibule that includes stained glass windows from St. Vincent. Here, they will read the inscription noting Thomas saying to Jesus, “My Lord and My God” from John 20:28.
On the right is St. Bernadette Chapel, where daily Mass will be, and the space also will double as a bride’s room and for children’s Liturgy of the Word. Statues of the saint and stained-glass windows from St. Bernadette are featured. One window depicts St. Bernadette.
Also on the right is St. Vincent de Paul Resurrection Chapel, where small funerals and calling hours may take place. Here there is a large wooden crucifix from St. Vincent. Stained glass windows from St. Vincent grace this space. They include the Annunciation, Nativity, Epiphany, baptism of Jesus and his suffering and death. “They portray the life of Jesus,” Father Zanni said.
Stained-glass windows bring color, vibrance and a sense of history to the spacious sanctuary, which seats 350 people. A large window, positioned behind the altar and centered with a cross of stained glass, brings natural light into the sanctuary. The cross of stained glass, newly made, is a representation of a cross in St. Bernadette’s choir loft that could not be moved. Its complemented by a crucifix from St. Bernadette that is suspended from the ceiling.
A new baptismal font is detailed with two waterfalls representing the Old and New Testaments. A rendering of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist is in the center. There also is a choir area to the right of the altar.
The parish received permission from Bishop George V. Murry to move forward with new construction. The cost was $2 million; the congregation raised $1.2 million with fundraisers and pledges. The two church buildings are up for sale.